HOLE NO. 8: par 5, 500 yards
Only a thin row of trees separates this hole from neighboring National Golf Links of America, with the iconic windmill in plain view. Distractions aside, Stenzel said, “I think it can be a birdie hole. The only concern is hitting the second shot far enough to carry the bunker.” Still, many LPGA pros can reach this green in two shots (and once they are there, they can see the Shinnecock Hills clubhouse). |

Sebonack Golf Club: Hole-by-hole look

Sebonack Golf Club appears to be a strategic layout, which challenges golfers to set up approach shots to very challenging greens at the U.S. Women's Open. Newsday's Mark Herrmann surveys that strategy, with insight from several experts, including Kellie Stenzel, one of Golf magazine's Top 100 teachers, who has played on several women's pro tours and is a former teaching pro at Sebonack.

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 1: par 4, 396 yards
Plays as hole No. 2 for club members. Possibly the hardest hole on the course, requiring a long drive over a fairway bunker and a second shot that avoids a steep greenside bunker on the right. "You've got to keep it left," Kellie Stenzel said. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 2: par 4, 421 yards
Long uphill climb toward the clubhouse, but it's downwind with a generous landing area. "It's not a real accepting green," Kellie Stenzel said. "On your second shot, it's better to be long than short because it can roll back. And the bunker has a face that is 20 feet tall." |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 3: par 3, 205 yards
This is a downhill tee shot to a large green, which is flatter than some of the others. The green is guarded by bunkers in front and on either side. "I think it's a little bit of a breather, a nice break after the first two holes," Stenzel said. |

HOLE NO. 4: par 4, 341 yards
Ben Kimball of the USGA, director of the Women's Open, said, "It's a really, really neat, short downhill par 4, one of my favorites on the golf course. Players need to make a smart decision off the tee to attack the small green." Stenzel said, "I think some of the girls will be able to get it pretty close to the green, but the green is really protected by a pot bunker on the right." |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 5: par 4, 381 yards
"They've made some changes here, they've added some fairway bunkers," Stenzel said. "It's somewhat of a blind tee shot so a good drive is really important there." The saving grace, she added, is that, compared to some other holes, the green is receptive. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 6, par 4, 423 yards
"Kind of a nice little dogleg left, with a nice open tee shot and a long second shot," Stenzel said. "There's a tricky bunker on the left that looks like it's farther than it is. On the green, the ball will kick more right than it looks like it will." |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 7, par 3, 167 yards
Actually, it will play anywhere from 140 to 190 yards, Kimball said. Referring to one of the co-designers, Stenzell said, "To me, that's kind of the one [Jack] Nicklaus-looking hole, with the island green, and it’s not a really big green." She added that the fescue is tough if you hit it right. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 8: par 5, 500 yards
Only a thin row of trees separates this hole from neighboring National Golf Links of America, with the iconic windmill in plain view. Distractions aside, Stenzel said, “I think it can be a birdie hole. The only concern is hitting the second shot far enough to carry the bunker.” Still, many LPGA pros can reach this green in two shots (and once they are there, they can see the Shinnecock Hills clubhouse). |

HOLE NO. 9: par 4, 334 yards
Normally, this is the starting hole, which gets golfers out there with a decent shot at par or birdie. It bends to the right, toward Peconic Bay. "Though short, in overall yardage, it makes up for it with its challenging putting surface," Kimball said. Stenzel said the approach will be “a kind of risk-reward shot. You’ve got to be on the right tier on the green.” |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 10: par 4, 380 yards
A short left-to-right hole into a prevailing wind, toward an uphill green that golfers can’t see from the fairway. Kellie Stenzel said, "They should probably keep their second shots right because it kicks hard left." USGA's Ben Kimball added, "This could be a good scoring opportunity for the players, which could be their last for a stretch of holes." |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 11: par 4, 434 yards
Certainly one of the most picturesque holes, with a look at the beach that is reminiscent of a California coast scene. “It’s an amazing view, but you can get blocked out there,’’ said Joe Carson of Hampton Bays, a Sebonack caddie since it opened in 2006, who carried for Annie Park in the France-America Challenge last fall and will do so again this week. He said a golfer has to aggressively bear left off the tee to have a shot in. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 12: par 3, 161 yards
"It could be a game-changer, come the final day," Kimball said. "It looks harmless on paper, but it's anything but. This hole plays downhill to a putting green that is one of the smallest on the golf course. Players will have to shoot for the front half of this green. Missing long on Sunday could cost you the national championship." |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 13: par 5, 549 yards
Almost a double dogleg, which is expected to be a three-shot hole for the pros, except that the USGA asked that a new forward tee be built. That could be used on the weekend, daring players to go for it in two, possibly putting water in play on the second shot. Stenzel said the green has many putts that are double breakers, adding that the tour players ought to get advice from local caddies. |

HOLE NO. 14: par 4, 428 yards
Sebonack built a new green here since the course’s opening. Finding a decent landing spot for the tee shot will not be a problem, Stenzel said. The real key is navigating around an “extreme shelf” on the green. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 15: par 5, 574 yards
Despite being the longest hole on the course, it is perhaps one of the best chances for birdie. "It's a pretty open tee shot," Stenzel said, adding that it wouldn’t hurt to keep the drive on the left side. Kimball said the USGA might move the tee up here, too, just to make things interesting. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 16: par 4, 403 yards
Long and uphill, as well as being potentially very television-friendly (the look of the course helped convince the USGA to bring the Women's Open to Sebonack). "The second shot always seemed to play so much longer than I thought it would," Stenzel said. The good play is hitting to the left side of the green and have it roll down. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 17: par 3, 176 yards
"When they tuck the pin in certain spots, it can be hard to get to," Stenzel said. "This is another one of those par 3s on which anywhere on the green is a good shot." It also is another one that punishes a shot that is slightly long. Michael Pascucci, the owner, predicted that the player who chips best will win the Open. |

(Credit: Sebonack Golf Club)

HOLE NO. 18: par 5, 523 yards
Carved onto a bluff along the bay, this hole represents a victory for Pascucci, who insisted it be a par 5 when Jack Nicklaus, the co-designer with Tom Doak, insisted it play as a par 4. Carson, the caddie, said, "Aesthetically speaking, it's one of my favorite holes. But that second shot is long." The green is one of the most contoured, which could translate into drama late on Sunday. |